Some long term drought impacts continued through the November, although there was above average precipitation for the second month in a row. This was especially true for the northern Sierra, where the combined October and November 8-Station Index was the highest in over a decade.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.
Some long term drought impacts continued through the November, although there was above average precipitation for the second month in a row. This was especially true for the northern Sierra, where the combined October and November 8-Station Index was the highest in over a decade. At the end of November, compared to historical averages, Lake Shasta was 108%, Lake Oroville was 69%, Folsom Lake was 95%, and Don Pedro was 103%. New Melones continued to lag behind the other significant area reservoirs and was only 39% of normal.
The U.S. Drought Monitor showed no change for the month, in spite of above normal rainfall, due largely to a lack of snow pack in the mountains.
Groundwater aquifers continued to recharge more slowly than the surface reservoirs.
Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California January 17, 2014 and this continued to be in effect. Governor Brown issued an executive order on May 9, 2016 that built on temporary statewide emergency water restrictions to establish longer-term water conservation measures, including permanent monthly water use reporting, new permanent water use standards in California communities and banned clearly wasteful practices such as hosing off sidewalks, driveways and other hardscapes.
Local Emergency proclamations remain for Colusa, Calaveras, El Dorado, Glenn, Plumas, San Joaquin, Shasta, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne, and Yuba counties. The cities of Live Oak (Sutter County), Lodi (San Joaquin County), Manteca (San Joaquin County), Portola (Plumas County), Ripon (San Joaquin County), and West Sacramento (Yolo County). Drought task forces remain in Lake, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tuolumne, and Yolo counties to coordinate response to the drought.
The State Water Resources Control Board announced that urban Californians monthly water conservation was 18.8 percent in November, a decrease from 19.6 percent in October and below the 20.2 percent savings in November 2015, when state-mandated conservation targets were in place. The State Water Board stressed the need for continued conservation despite early rains in Northern California, due to below normal snow pack conditions.
The state continued to supply food assistance to those impacted by the drought, along with California Disaster Assistance Act money for those who have lost drinking water due to dry wells. In June 2016, Governor Brown approved an additional $254.7 million for the 2016-17 budget to continue the state’s response to the drought to aid|in emergency drinking water for communities, emergency food assistance, enhanced fire protection, environmental and wildlife assistance, assistance to communities to help dispose of the dead and dying trees in high hazard zones for public safety issues, and the continued statewide awareness campaign.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 31, 7:57 PM PST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sacramento CA 857 PM PDT Mon Oct 31 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Halloween precipitation across interior NorCal tonight. Drier weather returns for the rest of the week with the next chance of wet weather this weekend. && .DISCUSSION... A weaker system is moving through the region this evening and will linger over much of the interior through the AM hours before clearing. Light snow should start to fall below the crest before 10 PM near the 6000 ft level with the heavier snowfall expected to start towards midnight. Some travel difficulties going over the crest will likely occur overnight with improving conditions during the daytime. There may be some isolated showers in the afternoon before ending over the mountains but for the most part the system will be well to the east and most places will remain dry. A ridge of high pressure will build over the region Tuesday night through Wednesday to keep the interior dry and bring a warming trend to the interior through Thursday. There will be a weak wave that clips the far northwest part of the state Wednesday night but currently looks like it will not penetrate into the interior. && .EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Friday THROUGH Monday) Dry weather continues into Friday and early Saturday as high pressure shifts eastward. High temperatures will remain near normal through this stretch. The next weather system then approaches northern California Saturday and Sunday. The GFS is more bullish with precipitation than the ECMWF or Canadian. With medium confidence, we've maintained chances of precipitation across the region. Snow level will be high with this system but could fall to 7000 feet late Sunday. Drier weather settles in again Monday as high pressure rebuilds over California. && .AVIATION... Next weather system will move across the region tonight. VFR/MVFR conditions are expected for the Valley, with IFR/LIFR conditions continuing over the mountains. South winds expected to increase to 10-16 kt in advance of this system. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 8 AM PDT Tuesday for West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada-Western Plumas County/Lassen Park. &&
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System indicated there were some homes without well water due to dry wells. Tuolumne County had 240 households and Calaveras County had 1 household, unchanged from October.
The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System indicated there were some homes without well water due to dry wells. There were 228 in Stanislaus County, 11 in San Joaquin County, unchanged since October. Many rural communities in the Northern San Joaquin Valley were also still receiving food assistance as a direct result of the drought.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2016
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 668178, 668181.